Poly Marathoners Brave Tough Conditions

Several Poly faculty members participated in the annual JetBlue Long Beach Marathon on Saturday, October 11. Activities director Ngoc Nguyen, and Mrs. Sato finished the full marathon, while athletic director Rob Shock, teacher Dante Ealy, and teacher Janice Valentine finished the half marathon. Journalism teacher Daryl Holmlund finished the hand cycle marathon in third place.
Considered one of the most scenic marathons in Southern California, the race gives runners a complete tour of Long Beach, starting at Rainbow Lagoon, looping around Rainbow Harbor, passing by Wilson High School and Cal State Long Beach, and finishing near the Long Beach Convention Center.
The race started at 6:00 AM to beat the heat of the day, but running in high temperatures was inevitable as the race went on. These Jackrabbits competed in the race with approximately 19,000 other runners.
“The heat was brutal! I was just glad I finished!” said Valentine.
By 8:30 AM, temperatures rose to the 80s coupled with high humidity.
This was Nguyen’s first full marathon, but she completed many half marathons before.
“The marathon was on my bucket list of things to do. This was one of the most physically challenging things I’ve done,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen completed the full marathon and raised funds for Poly North, a fall camp for sophomores to interact with other Poly students. Poly North was an official charity of the Long Beach Marathon.